Sectarian SUCCESS

The manner and style of the BJP victory in Gujarat are a one-time aberration that cannot be replicated in a huge and heterogeneous nation like India

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December 30, 2002

ISSUE DATE: December 30, 2002

UPDATED: December 30, 2002 00:00 IST

THE CONGRESS PARTY IN GUJARAT WAS ON A massive comeback trail during 2001, as was evident from its overwhelming successes in election after election-be they for panchayati raj institutions or municipal bodies or in by-elections to the Assembly or the Lok Sabha. Gujarat, which has been treated as a laboratory for the Sangh Parivar's core communal agenda for over a decade, was turning its back decisively on the BJP and its numerous affiliates. As a desperate measure, the BJP replaced Keshubhai Patel as chief minister with Narendra Modi. Modi won in a by-election from a constituency of his own choice with great difficulty while the BJP lost two other by-elections to the Congress at the same time.

In this setting, Modi-who had not been an MLA, MP or a minister ever-looked like an Alice in Wonderland. Then on February 27, 2002, the Godhra outrage occurred. The rioting that began the same night-it was to continue for weeks- resulted in the deaths of at least 1,000 people. There were credible reports of the riots being meticulously planned and stories narrated of state apparatus being privy to the rioting. But in a macabre demonstration of the topsy-turvy principles of public administration, all senior police officers who discharged their duties were given punishment postings.

In spite of all this naked subversion of rule of law, Modi's government in Gandhinagar was saved by the BJP's national leadership. What was worse, Modi was encouraged to dissolve the Assembly and hold elections to cash in on the communal divide. When the chief election commissioner refused to oblige, he was vilified by the Central Government. And when the election was eventually postponed by a few months, Modi was allowed to launch his Gaurav Yatra to sustain and deepen the emotional divide. In spite of the incredibly naked sectarian campaign by Modi and other leaders of the BJP, the Congress party stood its ground firmly and launched a counter-offensive to defend rule of law and uphold secularism.

An in-depth analysis of the results betray a pattern. One invariably sad consequence of communal rioting is that people get sharply divided on religious lines, albeit temporarily. The rioting causes the divide, whether it erupts involuntarily or is elaborately instigated. And wherever rioting occurred, the Congress incurred losses. It is revealing to note that the reverses the Congress suffered in various regions of Gujarat are in exact proportion to the intensity or spread of rioting.

In spite of all the obstacles, the Congress spared no effor ts and put its best foot forward. The Congress secured 38 per cent of the popular vote, which is 3 per cent higher than in 1998. True, Muslims voted en masse for the Congress, but they form only 9 per cent of the population of Gujarat. By no stretch of imagination can they account for 38 per cent of the vote. The postulate that the Congress used the soft Hindutva card stands refuted by the resounding support of the Muslims. It is also contradicted by the charge that the Congress used the fatwa card. The fatwa itself is a flagrant falsehood fabricated by the propaganda apparatus of the Sangh Parivar. The leaders of the BJP are complaining that Muslims participated in rioting on a large scale. One wonders whether it will be in the nation's interest for religious minorities to be indifferent to the electoral process. Their enthusiastic electoral participation shows that democracy is a sure therapy for all our social ills. Whatever the cause of the defeat of the Congress, it is nobody's case that this is a normal electoral setback. It is not like the defeats inflicted on the Congress in Goa or Orissa. We are keenly alive to the adverse implications of this verdict not only on the secular fabric of the Indian polity but for the unity and integrity of the country. We are, however, comforted by the realisation that this is a one-time aberration that cannot be replicated in a huge and heterogeneous nation like ours. We are, in fact, confident that it cannot be repeated again even in Gujarat. The anti-BJP tide, which was absolutely clear in the pre-Godhra phase, will begin to rise in Gujarat again. The Congress will be back to its winning spree in the next Lok Sabha elections in Gujarat itself. Aside from fluctuating electoral fortunes, we are actually aware that eternal vigilance is the price to be paid for the liberty of individuals and the unity of our nation.

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